Setting: Spaaaaaace!

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

Jacob Taylor is hard at work in his starship's armory. He's in charge of maintaining an impressive array of assault rifles, heavy pistols, grenade launchers, and other implements of destruction and defense. Jacob's aware that the lives of his friends and crewmates might depend on the condition of these weapons. It's a job he takes seriously, and it's a job he's good at.

When your character enters, Jacob turns away from his electronic console to greet them.

"Hey. Can I help you with something?"

Comments

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

"You've got it," Jacob said. He plucked a Predator from the rack, laid it on the workbench, and bent over it as he began screwing on a high-caliber barrel.

"I know what you mean," he said as he worked. "Worst missions I've ever been on? They've all been the ones where I wasn't expecting any trouble. There's not much worse than getting blindsided. Even a suicide mission can be survivable if you've got time to prepare."

With that, he finished screwing on the barrel, lengthening the weapon. A few more deft, practiced motions snapped the scope onto the top of the pistol. Jacob hefted the gun up and held it out to Lafiel. "There. It might weigh a bit more, but now you've got added accuracy and firepower. Try holding it, see how it feels."

[ungrounded]

Lfaiel took the gun first checking to make sure whatever safety features it had was on. Live fire in the armory was one of those accidents that one usually doesn't survive to learn from. After that, she hefted it, as one would if ready to use, though she kept her finger away from the trigger. "Good weight. I wonder if I have time and a place to test this."

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

Jacob appreciated the obvious care and experience Lafiel demonstrated with the weapon. Amateurs could be a greater threat to his armory than any kind of enemy action.

"Don't know about time, but I've got a range right back there. "Jacob nodded his head toward a doorway in the back of the room. "Not as good as a full simulation, but it'll do for weapons testing. I use it myself. Want me to set it up for you?"

One side benefit of his armory duties was that Jacob had an excuse for regular practice with just about any weapon he might use on a mission. He liked keeping his skills sharp and experimenting with any new items that might get added to the ship's arsenal.

[ungrounded]

"Yes, please," Lafiel said. "The time taken to practice could make the difference if there's trouble."

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

"I hear that." Jacob agreed with feeling, then led Lafiel to the back of the armory, through the door.

The room beyond was simple and direct. There were three firing positions with necessary safety equipment- goggles, ear protectors, and other ballistic paraphernalia- already laid out. Beyond were three targets with vaguely humanoid silhouettes. Jacob went to a small console in the corner and touched a few buttons. A motor whined, circuits hummed, and blue shielding flickered around one of the targets.

Jacob pointed at each target in turn. "You've got unprotected, armoured, and shielded targets here. Lets you get a feel for how the weapon handles different kinds of situations. It's all set, so go ahead and start shooting when you're ready." With that, Jacob lowered a pair of ear protectors over his head.

[ungrounded]

Lafiel grabbed her own ear-protection, adjusting it to not jar the control tiara she wore, a job that took both hands and a bit of effort. "Thank you." She moved to the range, ready to begin.

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

That got a raised eyebrow from Jacob. Why not take off the headgear before putting on the protectors? He wondered, not used to the ways of the Abh. Nonetheless, he stood back and watched Lafiel go to work. He was almost as interested in how the pistol performed as she was- his life might not be depending on the weapon, but his pride in his work was.

[ungrounded]

Lafiel was a good shot, though of course she took a bit of time to adapt to a new weapon. After feeling confident she had the handle on the weapon, she finished up. "Thank you."

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

"No problem." Jacob nodded, satisfied that the weapon was going to do what was needed. He took off his ear protectors and stretched his neck a bit, side to side. "Can you tell me what kind of mission you're going on, or is that classified?"

[ungrounded]

"Theoretically, it's diplomatic, but the shooting hasn't stopped yet," Lafiel said.

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

Jacob snorted. "Oh. That kind of diplomacy. I'm familiar with the type." He shook his head, a little bitterness from old missions seeping through. "Let me guess: there's a good chance someone's going to try killing you, but you have to play nice for the sake of politics."